1. Field of the Invention
This invention applies to clothing construction, home sewing, home decorating and craft projects. Specifically, the invention uses manufactured strips of fusible, nonwoven materials into which pulling threads or cords are added. The tape could then be fused to a material by ironing. The threads or cords are then pulled to the desired fullness to meet the needs of the finished product. Pulling the cords, here, refers to the technique of holding the threads or cords on one side while pushing the material to the other side causing ruffles, gathers, pleats or easing to form on the material. The purpose of this invention is to simplify the process of gathering, ruffling, pleating or easing of materials used for sewing, decorating or craft designs.
2. Prior Art
In sewing, decorating and craft designs, there is frequently a need to gather a longer length of material into a shorter length. The shorter length of material, then, has extra fabric fullness which is an integral part of the design, either because of the decorative effect, such as a design with ruffles, or because this gathering process is needed in fabrication even if it is not an obvious part of the finished look.
At this time there are a number of methods used to prepare materials for gathering. One method is to machine baste (on a sewing machine) two rows of stitching about 1/2 inch apart. Another method is to use a cord and a zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine to stitch over the cord. Both of these method are time consuming and tedious. There are also ruffling attachments for sewing machines.
More recently a tape has been devised which can form ruffles in a fabric after the tape is sewn to the back of the fabric. However, whenever sewing or stitching is carried out, particularly on pleated materials, much tedious time-consuming work is involved.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to provide an improved means and method of pleating and ruffling fabrics which would eliminate stitching and sewing steps, and therefore reduce fabrication time. Such means and method should be simple, rapid, effective and inexpensive and be adaptable to a wide variety of fabrics, including drapery materials, laces, clothing materials, etc.